Need a neat but simple craft

[Spinning]

For about 8- ten year old girls. DD is having a sleep over for her birthday.
Something kind of simple, fun.
I thought about no sew pillows but that could take too much time. I was thinking somethign that would take about an hour.
Thanks

 

[JulianneCP]

How about just decorating pillow cases. Get white pillow case, paint pens markers, iron ons etc...

 

[piratesmate]

When DD was 10 she went to a party where she made a fall potpouri box. They used those inexpensive wooden boxes from Wal-Mart (~$1) painted them, added some of those thin wooden "charm" things (pre-printed/painted to look leaves, scarecrows, etc) and then filled with some potpouri. The girls had a great time doing them & it actually still smells. I was surprised, because she's 14 now.

We've also gotten beads & those small safety pins and the girls made flags.

How about one of the foam kits to make marshmallow critters? You know the ones I mean? They have all kinds of seasonal things to make - they're based on S'Mores. I thought about getting one (just 'cause they're so darn cute!) but what would DD & I do with 10 or so of the same thing?

 

[RangerPooh]

Oriental Trading Co has a bunch of make it yourself foam projects that little kids can do.

Have you thought about buying suncatchers and having them paint those?

If the party is closer to Christmas you could buy ceramic orgnaments (at Michael's they can get down to 3/$1) that they can paint. Then all you ahve to do is spary with a sealer and string.

What about lanyards?

If you go down the wood isle at Michael's you could pick up a few small cut outs and prepaint them or buy them prepainted and door knob hangers and have them paint their own. It could say "Sally's Room" or "Girls Only" etc.

Do you have a digiatl Camera? You could take a few pictures of each girl early on in the party (or use picturesa that you already ahve of them) and then give them scrapbooking paper and scissors and let them make their own page. Just provide them with a few examples

You could do sand paintings. Find a few pictures (can be of rock art, simple pictures from a coloring book), provide a few different colors of colored sand and have them glue one colored area at a time. When they've glues on color have them pour the remaining back into the container. The switch to the next color and continue.

They could make journals. You take a piece of paper crumple it up. While still crumpled paint the ridges, etc lightly with which ever paint color that they like. Unfold and set aside. Next provide them with a rectanglular piece of cardstock or a file folder they will then lay this on the backside of the piece painted and instruct them to glue the rectangle down. They will ten trace/cut a rectangle larger than the one glued so that when cut out they can flod around the cardstock so the edges are covered. Then provide them with X number of sheets that are the size of the rectangle. Fold in half. Fold the cover in half. Hole punch the middle of the crease in 2 spots. String the with ribbon or twine. You can add embleshishments such as beads or charms. Now they have a journal.

Decoupage a cheap picture frame

Decoupage a notebook so that they ahve personalized both front and back covers

 

[RobynK]

For my daughter's birthday I bought some inexpensive frames at Walmart- they are in the craft department about 1.49 each and had the girls decorate them with markers/stamps/glitter(but that gets messy) glue beads etc. and then took a picture of them with my digital camera and printed off the computer. They had a ball posing for the pictures and the craft took about 45mins. Then they were able to take this home as a great reminder of the party. Best of all no goodie bags. and the supplies were all things I had around the house anyway with the exception of the frames.

 

[Stephres]

On the PBS Scrapbook Memories show, they devoted the entire show to projects you can do with kids. They had cute paper bag books and a magnetic board to paint and decorate. HERE is the link to the project page: it is show #703. Hope this helps: very cute projects on the show!

 

[Suz D]

This is probably too late for the OP, but here's a fun, easy, cheap & low supervision craft (a winner on all counts).

pipe cleaners
lots of plastic beads (pony beads, faceted beads etc. with holes big enough for pipe c's)

The ones we did were...
4 pipe cleaners. Take 2 and make an X. Twist at the X part (center) to join them together. Then add the 3rd and twist in the center and then the 4th. You should have 8 spokes. Then string the beads on as desired. Roll the ends of the pipe cleaners around a crochet hook to "curl" each end into a loop. Hang the snowflake ornament by one of the loops.

We also make candy canes and wreaths. Let their imaginations go with this one. We had a great time with tons of beads and pipe cleaners!